SD willing to help but Chargers-Raiders likely will be played elsewhere

In hindsight, was all that relocation talk a distraction for the Chargers and could it be the same for the Raiders, now? Philip Rivers answers that question as well as how he feels about seeing former defensive coordinator John Pagano.

In hindsight, was all that relocation talk a distraction for the Chargers and could it be the same for the Raiders, now? Philip Rivers answers that question as well as how he feels about seeing former defensive coordinator John Pagano.

Friday morning update: According to multiple reports, NFL spokesman Joe Lockhart said on a conference call that the game is still scheduled to be played in Oakland, but the league has a contingency plan in case it has to be moved. He won’t say where but “I would expect it to be an NFL stadium.” That would appear to rule out San Diego.

As of mid-day Thursday, there was no indication that the NFL seeks a temporary relocation to San Diego for the Week 6 matchup.

“I am not aware of any request that has come from the NFL to date,” said Faulconer’s chief of staff, Aimee Fawcett.

“We are always happy to help other cities during times like these.”

An NFL spokesperson, per multiple reports, said the league is monitoring the air quality in Oakland.

"At this point, the game remains scheduled for Sunday in Oakland," the league official said Thursday.

An official for Bay Area Air Quality Management District, which oversees the EPA’s air quality index readings for the region, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal “nobody can answer” today what the air quality conditions will be like on Sunday.

“We don’t know what the level of containment of fire will be or what the wind direction will be,” Ralph Borrmann said, “so we don’t have an answer for it. …. Things can change pretty quickly. It’s really hard to make a prediction that’s going to be 100 percent accurate. There are variable winds. Generally now, they’re blowing in a southernly direction from what’s burning. It’s filtering into the Bay Area from the north. In an hour, things can change.”

Pay forward a favor?

Fawcett said she is aware of related precedent in 2003 when wildfires in San Diego County caused a Chargers-Cardinals game to be relocated to the Phoenix area.

Fans who attended the game in Arizona donated about $225,000 to aid victims of the fires.

Other relocations options for Sunday could include venues in the Bay Area and the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, a former Raiders home. StubHub Center, the Chargers’ home stadium, is being utilized by its primary tenant, the Galaxy of Major League Soccer.

The Mission Valley stadium was the home to the Chargers from August 1967 through the 2016 season finale this past Jan. 1.

Raiders South?

The Raiders could probably expect a pro-Raiders environment in Mission Valley if the atmosphere there Dec. 18 was the template.

Raiders fans were a noisy presence throughout the game, especially in the fourth quarter when the Chargers offense went to a silent count due to communication issues. Oakland won, 19-16.

At other games in San Diego, Raiders fans were less of a presence, but by last December, the specter of franchise relocation, along with poor on-field results spanning two seasons, seemingly eroded the willingness of Chargers fans to attend the home games.